Xbox 360 Dashboard update: December 6

It’s a little later than most gamers expected, but the massive update to Xbox 360 consoles will hit in the first week of December.

It will be a game changer (pun very much intended) for Microsoft’s aging platform, as it will take the mantra of being a complete entertainment device to the next level.

Yes, the Xbox 360 from day one has been on a mission to be more than a game system. Microsoft wants it to dominate all of your living room needs – from movies to music and even other activities like Web browsing and social networking.

Microsoft teased the update at the annual E3 trade show earlier this year. Among the features expected to roll out are the ability to stream live TV, have access to exclusive sports and music content, and deeper integration and menu controls with the Kinect motion and voice recognition.

Microsoft is good at presenting a lot of really high-concept, lofty marketing language, but some have had issues with its inability to deliver on those high promises.

The Kinect is a good example, as it was supposed to revolutionize the way we play and has ended up being nothing more than a unique version of the Wii.

So the proof will be in the pudding as the newest version of the Xbox 360 Dashboard is put through its paces. Expect to see a lot of comments from users trickle down over the next several days.

There had been speculation that the update would come in the middle of November, with many pegging the date as November 15, the 10-year anniversary of the original Xbox.

The final word, though, is that the update will come on December 6.